Copper flips to structural deficit

- Industry releases report global copper smelters are now accepting negative treatment charges for concentrate, signaling severe supply tightness in the concentrate market. - Market briefs and forecasts note the copper wire and cable market is projected to grow to $324.7 billion by 2032 at an 8.6% CAGR, underscoring long‑term demand. - The strain appears structural rather than a short blip, so wire‑heavy residential jobs should use current supplier pricing and short quote‑validity windows to protect margin (prnewswire.com) (globenewswire.com).